While Har Ki Dun is not best recommended for beginners, since it is one of the most difficult ones that you can try, it can be a beginner’s delight. It offers the right amount of insight into high altitude treks but needs a lot of fitness and planning.
The gradual ascents & descents make you aware of your resilience, and the endless waterfalls, streams, willows & forests are an absolute pleasure for your eyesight. Now that’s about what everyone knows already. How does this Har Ki Dun Trekking have mythological meaning, what is the landscape, what are the campsites or what are the peaks visible, articles all over the internet about these are flooded?
You are bound to lose your heart to this valley in the beautiful valley of Har Ki Doon, where the clouds come down to meet the spiky tree tops, where azure, crimson, beige and sienna congregate serenely to meet the dark brown and green hues of the rocky valley; This Uttarakhand valley, nestled at the foot of Fateh Parwat, offers the shuddering sight of the Gharwal Himalayas’ mighty snow-capped mountains with the lush green alpine landscape that worships it. Are you looking for real adventurous places as a backpacker?
A two-day trek that offers more than just adventure, Har Ki Dun trek is a creepy surge of steps that lead to exquisite yet dangerous and physically challenging views of serenity. The state government has provided the places with the best affordable food and accommodation, protection and quick medical assistance for this 5-7 day trek.
For this unforgettable journey, pack your bags; you’ll never forget the heaving breaths and the gush of warm blood, because of the amazing scenes, the ‘Valley of the Gods’ after all. Make sure that your best comfortable trekking shoes are ready, this one will be tricky; no incorrect moves, faulty steps or unaligned posture can be afforded.
You’ll be shocked when you start ascending the steep, slippery rocks, and there’s no trail. In the thick Himalayan wilderness, you are on your own; do not be surprised when a golden eagle chooses to perch nearby or if no visitors are expected from the wild boar. Yeah, you’re going to spot a lot of wild animals, including endangered species.
As you walk ancient steps searching into the old Indian culture, don’t forget to soak up the riches, the centuries-old villages will leave you amazed, this is where the Gods ascended into heaven.
Looking around, you’ll find Ruinsara’s snow-clad peaks, to add more, this is the only valley that artfully displays Blackpeak, Bandarpoonch and Swargarohini I-III.
One of the top winter treks, Har Ki Dun Trek provides an intimate look at the lifestyle of the surrounding places along with the exotic scenes covered with fluffy mountains and the views of wildlife and birds, of course. This will be one of your best Himalayan treks, and a nice weekend getaway through it all.
So here are five things I’m going to tell you that you would not expect on the Har Ki Dun trek:
Cozy home stays:
I knew we had a homestay in the village of Sankri, but I didn’t know it would be this king. It had a well-built wooden attic opening to a magnificent view of the mountains, wooden bedrooms with low ceilings that control the temperature. Amazing hospitality where I get to taste the local ‘Mandua’ freshly cooked cuisine on call.
Satellite phone:
The first sight of the village of Osla and it’s hard to believe there’s a satellite phone in this village. The area is so isolated that it doesn’t even have electricity, not even a medical store or phone signals. The solar lights were also installed early in 2018.
No matter how trivial it seems right now, but when going to trek, you need to know what options are available to create a link with the base so that when needed, this knowledge might come in handy.
Climbing:
Did I not expect that the terrain would have such massive boulders where rock climbing sessions could be conducted? Rock climbing is an exciting practice in itself, and doing it in the Har Ki Dun valley at 11200 feet is just amazing.
Valley of Flowers:
Yes, it is real. With its unconditional elegance, Har Ki Dun Valley amazed me. The entire valley was decorated with bright yellow, blue and white flowers, but this view is only limited to the summer version, of course.
